Caitlin Clark is having a phenomenal month of April. Her Iowa Hawkeyes reached the Final Four and advanced to the women's NCAA Tournament championship game for the second year in a row. She made an SNL appearance on Weekend Update, showcasing her wit and charm. The Indiana Fever selected her as the first pick in the WNBA Draft. Almost immediately, Nike announced it had signed Clark to a multi-year, eight-figure deal that includes her own signature shoe line.
More information has come out on that deal, and it's even bigger than initial reports suggested. Initial reports estimated that Caitlin had signed a three-year, $20 million. It is now all but officially confirmed that Clark's Nike contract is worth $28 million over eight years.
It's an impressive amount of money for a women's basketball player. The WNBA players who get shoe deals (many do not) typically sign offers in the mid-six figures. But Clark is a generational basketball player who's bringing new attention to the women's game — and she and her agents know it. Clark's asking price was at least $3 million per season. And Nike gave it to her. But not after some other companies did their best to poach the superstar!
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Nike had previously signed Clark to a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal in 2022. That was before she became a household name, though she was already showing flashes of greatness on the court. The first contract expired after this past NCAA season, so as Clark's popularity grew, just about every shoe company tried to compete for the top pick, according to new reporting from the Wall Street Journal.
Puma, which works with several WNBA players, including reigning MVP Breanna Stewart, decided to bow out after hearing how much Clark wanted. Adidas seemed to be a good fit, but their offer was for $6 million over four years — half the annual amount Clark's team was seeking.
Under Armour, the brand Steph Curry has been with during his NBA career, put forth a competitive offer: four years, $16 million, with a signature shoe included. The company, which also made a push to get Sabrina Ionescu four years ago, once again fell short against Nike.
Ionescu's deal was worth a potential $24 million and included a "Sabrina 1" signature shoe. Though she's made bonuses through the shoe line, some of her earnings were tied to on-court performances and incentives. With the pandemic and injuries limiting potential game time, it's also limited her total money made.
Clark's contract will include $3.5 million annually and the signature shoe, making it the largest shoe deal in women's basketball. She'll represent Nike both with the Fever and the U.S. Olympics roster, starting with this summer's games in Paris.
Maybe we shouldn't be surprised. Clark's been at the top of the game in just about every other scoring statistic. Why not make history with shoes, too?
